Why is my dogs anus swollen?

[CF8179mb]

In the past few days I have noticed a strange bulge near my dogs exit only hole. She is having issues sitting and it seems to be somewhat painfull to her. Note: she has been in heat for about 2weeks now. There is a small trace of blood in her stool. I have never seen anything like this before, and I have had many dogs. She is about 12 years old, and she is a miniture pincher-chihuahua mix. Is this common in older dogs? Should I wait till she is out of heat and see if it goes away? Is there an at home remedy to this issue?

[NinjaChick]

Take her to the vet.

[CF8179mb]

Vet bills are a little expensive... Im trying to get arround that.

[Fear Itself]

Dogs have scent glands near the anus which can become impacted, causing discomfort or abcess in extreme cases. You need to take your dog to the vet to have her examined for impacted anal glands.

[cckerberos]

Originally Posted by Fear Itself

Dogs have scent glands near the anus which can become impacted, causing discomfort or abcess in extreme cases. You need to take your dog to the vet to have her examined for impacted anal glands.

The Penny Arcade take.

[scm1001]

It is possible to clear them yourself, though it is best to get a vet to show you first. This is an ongoing problem with our dog, and we have to do it every year or so.

[toadbriar]

If there is blood and swelling, it needs to be seen by a vet because it's already infected. If the vet doesn't drain it, a fistula will form and your dog will have another hole next to its anus, with pus and glandular secretion draining out of it. You really want the vet to clean it out and give you some antibiotics for it. If it hurts, your dog might well be unwilling to defecate and constipation is another problem you don't need.

Please take her, it hurts a lot. It's not complicated, it's just like an abscess.

[Sailboat]

One of our vets once said "If I'd known what expressing a dog's anal gland smelled like before starting veterinary school, I would have chosen a different career."

Please get her fixed up -- and maybe while you're there, get her fixed, period. No need for her to go into heat in the first place (although I should mention that actually has little or nothing to do with anal gland impaction).

[Wile E]

I agree with the possible anal gland abscess. It is very painful for the dog and the dog should be on antibiotics. If you are established with a vet explain your financial concerns and they can try to keep costs within you means.

[Contrapuntal]

Originally Posted by CF8179mb

Vet bills are a little expensive... Im trying to get arround that.

Probably, the best thing for all concerned would be to find her a home where she can expect to have access to proper medical care.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Sailboat

One of our vets once said "If I'd known what expressing a dog's anal gland smelled like before starting veterinary school, I would have chosen a different career."

Toby expressed his glands last week. I got home, and the house just reeked. Didn't know what it was. Later that night on the couch, it happened again. Penny Arcade is right - that smell haunts me.

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

Probably, the best thing for all concerned would be to find her a home where she can expect to have access to proper medical care.

No one takes their pet to the vet each and every single time Fluffy scrapes her knee. The OP was looking for easily explained possibilities, and didn't ever rule out taking the dog to the vet.

[Contrapuntal]

Originally Posted by Munch

No one takes their pet to the vet each and every single time Fluffy scrapes her knee. The OP was looking for easily explained possibilities, and didn't ever rule out taking the dog to the vet.

Blood in the stool is not a scraped knee. It requires immediate medical attention. Anyone trying to "get around" that obviously has bitten off more than they can chew.

But thanks for the rolleyes. Brilliant rhetorical devices are always such a delight!

[Munch]

Originally Posted by Contrapuntal

Blood in the stool is not a scraped knee. It requires immediate medical attention. Anyone trying to "get around" that obviously has bitten off more than they can chew.

But thanks for the rolleyes. Brilliant rhetorical devices are always such a delight!

The rolleyes are appropriate because your post was both a knee jerk reaction as well as insulting to the OP. Blood in the stool can certainly be serious. It can also indicate a condition that the only thing a vet can do for you is give you a $75 bill. Getting a quick assessment on the internet for possible causes is certainly not grounds for surrendering a pet, and it's absurd to suggest otherwise.

[Contrapuntal]

Originally Posted by Munch

The rolleyes are appropriate because your post was both a knee jerk reaction as well as insulting to the OP. Blood in the stool can certainly be serious. It can also indicate a condition that the only thing a vet can do for you is give you a $75 bill. Getting a quick assessment on the internet for possible causes is certainly not grounds for surrendering a pet, and it's absurd to suggest otherwise.

The dog has been in pain for days. The dog has blood in the stool, and is unable to sit properly. The only real solution is to take it to the vet ASAP, which the OP is trying to avoid.

The dog needs to be with someone who can provide a higher standard of care. Stating this simple fact is not an insult to the OP. As if you have any standing in the matter. Which you don't.

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by CF8179mb

Vet bills are a little expensive... Im trying to get arround that.

We had Valor in the vet last week, and he had to have this done (we're fortunate to have a vet who doesn't charge for office visits for guide dogs). We had also had it done by a groomer about two weeks prior. The vet told us that when groomers express the anal glands, they tend to pretty much squeeze the outside of the anus, achieving only superficial results.

It might be sufficient for your dog's needs, if you want to take that chance. Otherwise, you could take a look at this video. Fair warning: anyone who is already squicked out about the subject of expresing a dog's anal glands should probably not click on that link, because that's what it is.